How do I export text in proportional font to gerbers?

You likely have it set to vector all fonts, which is a good choice

because the proportional font expands somewhat when output to cam.

Unless they fixed it in a newer version than mine.

On 4/26/2019 5:48 AM, Charon Me wrote:

My pcb design uses texts in the proportional font, but when I export to gerbers they have the texts in the vector font

 

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Hi,

I think the answer is that you don't/can't, because Gerber files are vector based. Any text to be displayed on a PCB should be vector format in your board layout. As I understand, if you don't, and you keep it in proportional font, then you risk the text being of unknown length when converted to vector (not always a serious issue if you're not doing it in copper, but can make the PCB look ugly). So, general advice is to use vector.

Well, proportional fonts are not the best choice.

Because proportional fonts have many special edges which cannot be clearly converted with high quality.

You must at least convert to a vector format such as HPGL.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP-GL

Even this old format will already help.

Also, the plotters in the production rather love HPGL, the newer versions of that, ok.

Eagle has ULPs which you can convert into the vector format.

In the Panel - Option - User Interface - there is a checkbox that you must activate.

Then in the PCB Editor you must in the menu option: "imprint into this drawing", if you already have different fonts in the drawing.

You can also change the text to Vector with Change, or just rewrite the text in Vector.

The same applies to the part names and pin numbers, if you want to write them on the board.

Grüße

Gerald

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Hi

Text on a board that is more pleasing to the eye than vector font has been a request for a long time.

Board production has historically required vector instructions.

A discussion five years ago arose around using an alternate vector font.

https://www.element14.com/community/message/107527/l/invite-testing-of-hershey-textulp#107527

Have a look at the ulp that Neil Allison created and has made available on his web site.

That may be something you may like to use..

All the best

Warren

On 4/26/2019 15:27, shabaz wrote:

Hi,

 

I think the answer is that you don't/can't, because Gerber files are vector based. Any text to be displayed on a PCB should be vector format in your board layout. As I understand, if you don't, and you keep it in proportional font, then you risk the text being of unknown length when converted to vector (not always a serious issue if you're not doing it in copper, but can make the PCB look ugly). So, general advice is to use vector.

Well, most fonts today is probably stored as a vector format so that

should not be a direct problem. But the other problem is that gerber is

an old legacy plotter format, and the main problem: with a finite pen

width, while modern fonts are most likely stored as vectors defining an

outline. They don't match up well.

But they could in theory. If you choose a manufacturer with access to

modern "bitmap plotters" (afaik, most non "garage" companies does), they

support hires outlined gerber fill codes. Eagle could have utilized this

both to speed up polygon fills for large designs, AND support any type

of proportional font.